I vote for Palace Steakhouse!
Am I reading the theme correctly that the wine just has to fit one of the criteria and not multiple? I have plenty of california cab with age, but not much Santa Cruz mountains and no Ridge (that has been delivered… I just joined futures two years ago).
I do have some truly excellent cabs from the mid 90s: Dunn, Forman, La Jota, Peter Michael Les Pavots, Seavey, and even some more “culty” wines (Abreu, Dalla Valle Maya- which is technically a cab sauv + cab franc blend). Is there any that people are more into than others. I’ve tried all of them at least once so far (except some of the Dunn’s) and they are all excellent now (with the Dunns having a bit more structure than the others).
Man, that place is cheap! You can’t find a burger in SF for what they are charging for steak or prawns. BYOB to boot! If they’ll let us loiter and the food is somewhere above gag-inducing, I’m in.
Have you been there recently? It’s a different experience from what it used to be a few years ago. Now it’s a 5 course meal for $50 + Supplement for dessert, and they charge a corkage per bottle ($15/bottle, I think). I never went there when it was a true steakhouse. It’s still a great value and a regular place for offlines, but hardly cheaper than a burger.
I just looked at the menu posted online. Must have been way out of date.
Yes, it’s a flexible theme. If you don’t have pre-1998 Ridge Monte Bello, you can bring a California Cab or blend from pre-1998 or another Cab or blend from Santa Cruz Mountains from pre-1998. If you don’t have one of those, you can bring a Pinot Noir, Syrah, or Chardonnay as long as it’s from Santa Cruz Mountains.
With all of this Cab, I love the idea of going to a steak house!
My favorite steak in SF is the bone-in filet at Bobo’s.
Don’t know their corkage fees or if they’d wave them for us, but they do have several separate areas. We held my son’s 21st birthday there and had a pretty private room.
Their bone-in filet would be a match made in heaven for these wines.
Not yet. Ideas?
Some ideas I dug up on Yelp–any thoughts? I’ve never been to any of these places.
Alamo Square Seasfood Grill has chicken and rib eye and free corkage on Wednesday nights.
Isa Restaurant has a $20 corkage and a French menu that could go well with our cabs
Bella Trattoria has no corkage on M-W, although Italian might not be ideal with the wine
Chapeau! looks like great food and has an $18 corkage.
There’s also L’Ardoise, but I don’t know their corkage (an old article from 2010 said $15, so I’d say at least that–I’d look up but phone dead at the moment!)
Bobo’s also looks great–how have folks asked for waived corkage in the past?
Cheers,
Tim
Thanks for pulling this list together!
Quick thoughts:
NOT PREFERRED
L’Ardoise - great food but definitely too cramped/cozy for a wine dinner.
Bobo’s - I’m worried it will reek of crab.
Bella Trattoria - I agree, Italian food isn’t the best fit.
Isa - from what I recall, most of the seating is outside. Not ideal for wine aromatics. Inside is cramped.
PREFERRED
Chapeau - looks great!
Alamo Square Seafood - Also looks great!
Really, though, I think The Palace might be the best - well-lit, roomy, no decisions on the menu 
I advise you call Chapeau! as that corkage fee might be old. IIRC its $25 now per bottle.
“Bobo’s - I’m worried it will reek of crab.”
They do serve fresh crab. I’m not sure why you’re worried, but IMO there no problem here.
In my opinion, Bobo’s bone-in filet is the best steak in SF. I’ve had great experiences bringing wine and pairing it with that steak. I think you guys would love it. I just don’t recall their corkage policy.
Bobo’s - +1.
Called 3 tonight – Bobos’ and a couple places where we used to haul cases of wine in for after work dinners when I worked at the Jug Shop. Things seem to have tightened up a bit in the intervening years.
Bobo’s corkage is $25/bottle on the first 2 bottles and $35/bottle from the third one onward.
House of Prime Rib is $25/bottle on the first 2 bottles and $30/bottle thereafter.
Frascati is $20 on the first, $25 on the second, $30 on the third, one waived with one purchased. I sell my wine there and know the GM/winebuyer, but I don’t think he works on Wed, so that may not help.
The steak places that have bought my wine (Harris, Epic, Bourbon Steak) are too expensive and/or have changed buyers since I last called on them, and I don’t think I have any pull there.
None seemed to be trying to attract groups like ours with their pricing schemes.
I’m not especially concerned with the food. It’s not where my attention will be. Anything out there that’s more wine-friendly?
I can’t make it. We’re getting last grapes of the year in, and will have to stay late for bad behavior.
Thanks for the research, Stewart! I’m with you on not paying too much corkage.
I checked OpenTable, just now, for tables at Alamo Square and Chapeau - looks like Alamo Square has reservations available for 6 or 7 people, and Chapeau has availability for 6 people but not 7.
I’m always a big fan of the palace. Corkage is $15 per bottle. Food is very good and $50 for a 5 course meal. They also have a spinoff tapas place that I’ve been told has the same corkage, but I haven’t eaten there.
Sounds good to me!
Let’s do The Palace. I’ve been there three times for wine dinners and always liked it.
I booked a table for 6 at 6:45pm this Wednesday, at the Palace.